Integrated Reading and Writing Tasks and ESL Students' Reading and Writing Performance in an English Language Test

Abstract

This exploratory study investigated whether content knowledge from reading would affect the processes and the products of adult ESL (English as a second language) students' writing and reading performance in a simulated English language test that made use of reading and writing modules. Following a counterbalanced within-subjects design, 34 first-year engineering students with intermediate levels of English proficiency did two reading and writing tasks in two conditions, one when the reading passage was related thematically to the writing task, and the other when the reading passage was not. In addition, participants answered interview questions and filled out a retrospective checklist of the writing strategies they used when the writing task was related thematically to the reading task. The students performed significantly better on their writing and on summary recalls of their reading comprehension in the condition where the reading and writing tasks were thematically related. The study revealed that the thematic connection between reading and writing enhanced both the processes and the products of students' writing performance.